Coal is one of the oldest art materials, which is still used today to create both sketches and independent works. Read on - and you will learn how to draw with charcoal if you are completely unfamiliar with this material. By the way, what types of coal are used in drawing?
Types of coal for drawing
- Coal sticks. They are made from willow, beech or grape twigs, which are fired in a sealed oven at high temperature. When shading, creating gradient transitions, toning large areas, it is easier to use soft types of charcoal, and when drawing small details, clear lines - hard ones.
- Charcoal pencils. They are also made of wood, but they look like graphite pencils, only with a charcoal lead inside. The advantages of such pencils over sticks are that they do not get your hands dirty and it is easier to draw with them, especially small details. But wide shading with them will not succeed.
- Pressed charcoal. In its production, not solid wood is used, but coal chips and vegetable glue, which are mixed and pressed. They are produced both in the form of sticks and in the form of pencils. They leave very deep, rich black lines that are difficult to remove from paper.
Additional tools
The paper on which it is best to draw with charcoal should be rough - a smooth surface will not hold particles of material, and it will crumble. There is a special paper for charcoal, but you can draw on pastel or watercolor. In extreme cases, you can use drawing paper if you rub the sheet with emery.
What else is remarkable about the charcoal graphics: the charcoal is quite easy to remove. In this case, for example, a kneaded eraser, a rag, or even a crumb of bread is used. The coal footprint will remain, but it will be enough to correct something. However, if the charcoal stripes are rubbed, then dark spots may remain on the paper, so you need to draw with charcoal without touching the sheet with your hand.
Pictures with charcoal should be treated on top with a special agent - a fixative-fixer, which creates a thin film on the surface of the paper, and the work can be stored without fear that the charcoal will crumble.
Charcoal drawing technique: main features
If you are just starting to draw, then it will be easier for you to try drawing with pencils. An ordinary graphite pencil allows you to draw even the thinnest lines and details, it is erased with an ordinary rubber band, the drawings do not need to be further processed during storage, and you can draw with a pencil on ordinary paper itself.
To the same graphics, although it is mastered faster, you still need to be able to adapt. When drawing, you need to constantly monitor the degree of pressure, vary it if necessary, and alternate it all the time with shading certain areas. This material rarely draws straight lines, it is more used when toning, creating a gradient.
When drawing, free movements are used, from simple to complex - first a sketch of the composition is created, which is then carefully drawn. You can control the thickness of the hatching when drawing with charcoal sticks by changing the angle of their inclination.
In addition to the usual method of drawing with black charcoal on light paper, there is a reverse method, when the sheet is completely painted over, and they begin to “draw” on it with an eraser, wiping the charcoal areas in the right places. Additionally, white pastel or crayons can be used.
Charcoal graphics: master class
And now we will look at how to draw with charcoal such an interesting drawing - a realistic imitation of a notebook sheet glued to a tree trunk. It is not performed too quickly, but it is exciting, and allows you to work out the main details of this technique.
You will need the following tools:
- charcoal paper (or watercolor, pastel);
- self-adhesive paper;
- perforated paper;
- hard pressed coal;
- charcoal;
- nag eraser;
- cotton pads and sticks;
- sharpened pencil;
- fixative for coal.
How to draw with charcoal: getting started
Take a sheet of paper and secure it to some kind of solid surface so that it doesn't move as you draw.
Cut out pieces of self-adhesive paper the size of a future sheet glued to a tree, and the adhesive tape on which it is held. Separate the self-adhesive from the protective backing and stick it on the paper in the right place.
Now take the charcoal and shade the leaf completely, then blend the resulting volume with a cotton pad to achieve a soft and uniform background.
In order not to smear anything and blow it off the sheet, fix the result. This is usually done with a special fixative, but if you don't have one, try using regular hairspray in several layers - although this method may darken your drawing.
Next, you should transfer the texture and texture of the wooden surface on paper. You need to draw with charcoal on the shaded surface, only this time not filling the entire area, but creating vertical lines with side strokes.
Subsequently, these stripes need to be shaded, but not entirely, so that they are clearly visible on paper.
Now use compressed charcoal and draw darker strokes for more detail on the bark.
Lightly blend the resulting strokes, and then paint and blend them again until the wood surface looks realistic. Use the nag to erase the charcoal marks and leave white streaks, helping to add dimension to the design.
The first part of the drawing is finished, now you know how to draw a wood texture with charcoal.
Drawing with charcoal: toning
The future leaf from the notebook is hanging on a tree, and therefore should create a shadow falling on the trunk. Decide on the area that will be the shadow, and glue it on all sides with paper. Shade the remaining strip with pressed charcoal and blend.
Peel off the self-adhesive paper from the drawing. Take a sharpened pencil and use a ruler to trace around the areas that will be the "adhesive tape".
Then you should give realism to the drawn tape. Attach the self-adhesive to the drawing so that it isolates the "adhesive tape" from the rest of the drawing. Paint over the tape with the charcoal residue on the cotton pad you used earlier, giving the strip of paper a gray tone.
Re-glue the paper in such a way that it covers the corner of the leaf, which is, as it were, sealed with “adhesive tape”, and then tint the free area again.
On top of the stripes, draw again the outlines of the tree bark and blend them. This is done in order to give transparency to the "adhesive tape".
Now take a perforated piece of paper and attach it to the drawing - you need to paint over the holes through it, like through a stencil. Blend the filled holes with a cotton swab.
Draw lines on the paper. They should be even, with the same indentation, so make it easy for yourself and seal the margins on both sides with self-adhesive.
On the resulting leaf, you can draw some simple sketch. And do not forget about the final fixing of the picture with varnish.
Once you figure out how to do these charcoal drawings for beginners, you will be able to draw more complex paintings, such as still lifes and portraits. Such work is often done in combination, for example, sketching a portrait with a pencil, and then starting to draw on it with charcoal, as shown in the following video tutorial for children:
To create graphic works in which the main emphasis is on the contrast of light and dark tones, the official distributor of the MPM group of companies offers to buy charcoal pencils for drawing at a bargain price. A convenient format in the form of traditional pencils allows you to create thin shading and draw details, as well as toning with the same convenience.
Among the distinctive properties of this tool is also worth noting:
- The possibility of fine sharpening and maintaining the sharpness of the rod for a relatively long time.
- Balanced softness of the lead that leaves a velvety mark without scratching the paper.
- High adhesion to paper (does not crumble).
- Easily washed out with water.
- Good compatibility with other materials.
- Eliminate the problem of dirt formation during operation.
Using charcoal pencils for drawing
This tool has all the properties of traditional charcoal and allows you to achieve various graphic effects when creating sketches, sketches, landscapes or portraits. The most advantageous look is the work done on matte textured paper. To create tints, the charcoal spreads easily over the paper by shading with a finger or torshon. The nag will allow you to correct errors or change the saturation of the tone.
The range includes a large selection of charcoal pencils for drawing of various hardness and saturation. The palette also contains tint materials with the addition of pigments, for example, sandy, burnt orange, with a green or blue tint. Black, white or colored pencil can be purchased individually or in sets of 4 pieces (in a blister or box).
We've all seen the marks on the end of every pencil, but what do HB and 2B mean, and how do they differ? When should we use a graphite pencil, charcoal, or charcoal pencil? And why do pencils come in different shapes?
Let's start with something simple: forms.
Pencils usually come in four shapes: hexagonal, semi-hexagonal, round, and triangular. Some specialty pencils are also elliptical, octagonal, or rectangular; there are also novelty pencils that come in different shapes. They are formed by forming a wooden case around the lead, which prevents lubrication during operation.
The four most common pencil shapes
Hexagonal pencils are commonly used for writing. They have very sharp edges for easy grip and prevent scrolling. The hard body, however, is not ideal for shading, and sharp edges often cause blisters.
Hexagonal pencils with smooth edges are often used for drawing. They have more rounded edges than just hexagonal pencils, so they're less rigid, but it also means less grip for writers.
Pencils with round edges are often made for marketing reasons, as smooth edges look more attractive. But such pencils are less practical, because. roll off the table and do not grip the hand well.
Triangular pencils are best for kids who are just starting to draw. Their shape helps children learn how to hold a pencil correctly. It is easier for children to hold large objects.
gradation
In school, on test exams, we were always intimidated by the need to fill in the circles with HB or 2B pencils, but what does this really mean?
H stands for "hardness" and B stands for "blackness" according to the European pencil grading system. Or, respectively, T and M, according to Russian. They are used to define the different shades of gray and black that can be achieved with a given pencil.
The center of the pencil, graphite, is made from a mixture of clay and graphite. The relative proportions of each determine the grading of the pencil - more clay means a stiffer pencil, while the amount of graphite affects blackness.
Gradation from 9B to 9H
The American pencil grading system uses numbers and is primarily used for writing pencils. There are only five grades: #1 (softest), #2, #3 and #4 (hardest), corresponding to European 2H, H, F (halfway on the scale), HB and B.
Writing materials
Most pencils are made from graphite, the materials of which are made from a mixture of clay and graphite. These pencils make the smoothest strokes. Solid graphite pencils simply do not have a wooden body and are primarily used by artists to cover large spaces.
Charcoal pencils are deeper in blackness but smudge easily and are more abrasive than graphite.
Charcoal pencils are made up of clay and carbon black, or mixed with charcoal or graphite. On a scale of smoothness and blackness, they are located between graphite and charcoal, respectively.
Watch this video on how to choose a pencil for your artistic endeavors:
Which pencil to choose for drawing - video for beginners
As you move forward, you will also come across things like specialty pencils that are designed for drawing. Try experimenting with them at least once to understand how they work and decide for yourself if they are right for you.
No one can say for sure exactly when the technique of drawing with charcoal was born, namely when for the first time someone had the idea to take coal from a dead fire and start drawing with it. Perhaps, we can safely say that this incident occurred at the time of the birth of mankind. The uniqueness of the artistic material lies in the fact that even over the centuries-old history of existence, it has not lost its relevance, and today it is even more in demand than before.
First of all, in charcoal pencils, artists were attracted by the simplicity of preparation. It was enough just to take a bunch of willow branches, smear them with clay and drip burning coal on them. Today, it is not necessary to make coals on your own, as manufacturers offer a wide selection of such products. Moreover, after a while, modern charcoal pencils appeared, which combined all the best from charcoal and ordinary pencils. A wide range of charcoal pencils is presented here.
Drawing techniques with charcoal pencils
Before proceeding with the description of drawing techniques, it is worth noting that for an effective creative process it is necessary to use high-quality paper, which is designed specifically for charcoal. You can choose the right art paper on the website https://mpmart.ru. A sheet of paper is fixed on the tablet, but first it must be moistened with water. This is done to ensure that the sheet stretches evenly.
There are only two ways to draw with charcoal pencils.
The first way is to draw with strokes and lines. It is very similar to the technique of drawing with an ordinary pencil, but only due to the specifics of coal you have the opportunity to get lines of various thicknesses.
The second method focuses more on applying tones and laying out wide backgrounds and shadows. To do this, the pencil is turned as horizontally as possible to the surface of the sheet, which allows you to cover large surfaces. You can also, after the drawing has already been drawn, simply rub the charcoal with the edge of your palm. After that, the drawing of the lightest details occurs again. To achieve the desired effect, it is extremely important to use special shading, which is made from suede, leather or paper. This tool is a tight roller with a pointed end, which is designed to highlight small details.
Any novice artist who wants to try working with charcoal pencils can be advised to learn from small sketches and sketches first. As a model, it is worth choosing simple and large objects without any small details and not giving a lot of shadows. The optimal paper size is A3. To make it easier to use charcoal, the initial drawing can be created with a regular pencil.
Keywords: charcoal pencils, art paper, how to draw, technique, what kind of paper is needed, make coals yourself, tips for artists
